Oscar in Box Office History (Week 34, 2016)

Every week, we’ll take a look back in 5-year intervals at the box office past to explore how Oscar’s nominees were doing at the box office each weekend historically. All data is collected from Box Office Mojo. The first section under each year is the positioning of all Oscar nominees during that weekend at the box office (as well as a section looking at the inflation-adjusted numbers). The third section is an alphabetical list of those films and the categories in which they were nominated. And to start each week off, we’ll be looking at the films releasing over the weekend that have the best chance of getting Oscar nominations and specifying the categories where we think they have the best shots at this stage of the game. If you have any suggestions for more data you’d like to see, please let us know.

This Year: Potential Oscar Nominees Releasing This Weekend

Ben-Hur (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Original Score, Film Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects.

Kubo and the Two Strings (Wide)

Oscar Potential: Animated Feature.

The People vs. Fritz Bauer (Limited)

Oscar Potential: Foreign Language Film.

5 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug 26-28, 2011

Weekend Box Office:

The Help – $14,536,118 ($96,833,423 total) {week 3}
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $8,867,741 ($148,674,018 total) {week 4}
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $2,564,370 ($370,805,062 total) {week 7}
Midnight in Paris – $743,597 ($51,643,081 total) {week 15}
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $640,253 ($349,457,208 total) {week 9}
Bridesmaids – $227,555 ($168,048,760 total) {week 16}
Kung Fu Panda 2 – $209,698 ($164,277,256 total) {week 14}
The Tree of Life – $82,015 ($12,852,427 total) {week 14}
Beginners – $31,144 ($5,707,600 total) {week 13}
Rio – $22,988 ($143,597,199 total) {week 20}
Incendies – $11,971 ($2,040,931 total) {week 19}
A Better Life – $10,735 ($1,754,319 total) {week 10}
In a Better World – $277 ($1,006,526 total) {week 22}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Help – $14,976,051 ($99,764,069 total)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes – $9,136,122 ($153,173,610 total)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – $2,641,980 ($382,027,409 total)
Midnight in Paris – $766,102 ($53,206,049 total)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – $659,630 ($360,033,467 total)
Bridesmaids – $234,442 ($173,134,725 total)
Kung Fu Panda 2 – $216,044 ($169,249,077 total)
The Tree of Life – $84,497 ($13,241,403 total)
Beginners – $32,087 ($5,880,339 total)
Rio – $23,684 ($147,943,142 total)
Incendies – $12,333 ($2,102,699 total)
A Better Life – $11,060 ($1,807,413 total)
In a Better World – $285 ($1,036,988 total)

Oscar Details:

Beginners: Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer) [O]
A Better Life: Actor (Demian Bichir)
Bridesmaids: Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), Original Screenplay
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects
The Help: Picture, Actress (Viola Davis), Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer [O])
In a Better World: Foreign Language Film [O]
Incendies: Foreign Language Film
Kung Fu Panda 2: Animated Feature
Midnight in Paris: Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay [O], Art Direction
Rio: Original Song (“Real in Rio”)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Visual Effects
Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
The Tree of Life: Picture, Directing, Cinematography

10 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 25-27, 2006

Weekend Box Office:

Little Miss Sunshine – $7,371,263 ($22,895,257 total) {week 5}
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $3,979,260 ($407,544,616 total) {week 8}
The Illusionist – $1,835,240 ($3,198,319 total) {week 2}
Monster House – $1,141,933 ($69,368,839 total) {week 6}
The Devil Wears Prada – $880,462 ($120,598,743 total) {week 9}
Superman Returns – $780,405 ($195,388,237 total) {week 9}
Cars – $734,162 ($240,555,222 total) {week 12}
Click – $384,517 ($135,935,073 total) {week 10}
Half Nelson – $210,762 ($389,972 total) {week 3}
An Inconvenient Truth – $194,472 ($22,770,454 total) {week 14}
Water – $7,314 ($3,216,985 total) {week 18}
My Country, My Country – $1,317 ($9,872 total) {week 4}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Little Miss Sunshine – $9,194,385 ($28,557,901 total)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $4,963,443 ($508,341,910 total)
The Illusionist – $2,289,147 ($3,989,354 total)
Monster House – $1,424,365 ($86,525,712 total)
The Devil Wears Prada – $1,098,225 ($150,426,218 total)
Superman Returns – $973,421 ($243,713,267 total)
Cars – $915,741 ($300,051,323 total)
Click – $479,619 ($169,555,656 total)
Half Nelson – $262,889 ($486,423 total)
An Inconvenient Truth – $242,570 ($28,402,230 total)
Water – $9,123 ($4,012,636 total)
My Country, My Country – $1,643 ($12,314 total)

Oscar Details:

Cars: Animated Feature, Original Song (“Our Town”)
Click: Makeup
The Devil Wears Prada: Actress (Meryl Streep), Costume Design
Half Nelson: Actor (Ryan Gosling)
The Illusionist: Cinematography
An Inconvenient Truth: Original Song (“I Need to Wake Up” [O]), Documentary Feature [O]
Little Miss Sunshine: Picture, Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin [O]), Supporting Actress (Abigail Breslin), Original Screenplay [O]
Monster House: Animated Feature
My Country, My Country: Documentary Feature
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest: Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects [O]
Superman Returns: Visual Effects
Water: Foreign Language Film

15 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 24-26, 2001

Weekend Box Office:

Shrek – $583,262 ($261,398,217 total) {week 15}
Ghost World – $350,125 ($2,495,064 total) {week 6}
Moulin Rouge! – $128,480 ($55,771,542 total) {week 15}
Memento – $97,592 ($25,042,545 total) {week 24}
Sexy Beast – $87,492 ($6,357,797 total) {week 11}
Pearl Harbor – $75,852 ($195,456,759 total) {week 14}
A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $27,241 ($78,340,174 total) {week 9}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Shrek – $841,917 ($377,318,628 total)
Ghost World – $505,392 ($3,601,532 total)
Moulin Rouge! – $185,456 ($80,504,152 total)
Memento – $140,870 ($36,147,985 total)
Sexy Beast – $126,291 ($9,177,244 total)
Pearl Harbor – $109,490 ($282,134,580 total)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence – $39,321 ($113,081,135 total)

Oscar Details:

A.I. Artificial Intelligence: Original Score, Visual Effects
Ghost World: Adapted Screenplay
Memento: Original Screenplay, Film Editing
Moulin Rouge!: Picture, Actress (Nicole Kidman), Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction [O], Costume Design [O], Makeup, Sound
Pearl Harbor: Original Song (“There You’ll Be”), Sound, Sound Editing [O], Visual Effects
Sexy Beast: Supporting Actor (Ben Kingsley)
Shrek: Animated Feature [O], Adapted Screenplay

20 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 23-25, 1996

Weekend Box Office:

Independence Day – $4,739,170 ($274,504,698 total) {week 8}
Emma – $2,467,231 ($9,191,949 total) {week 4}
Eraser – $1,355,613 ($96,808,807 total) {week 10}
Twister – $1,023,005 ($237,477,230 total) {week 16}
Trainspotting – $911,586 ($9,277,145 total) {week 6}
The Rock – $270,066 ($129,469,600 total) {week 12}
Toy Story – $18,351 ($191,739,566 total) {week 40}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Independence Day – $8,759,959 ($507,398,955 total)
Emma – $4,560,470 ($16,990,548 total)
Eraser – $2,505,737 ($178,942,976 total)
Twister – $1,890,939 ($438,956,780 total)
Trainspotting – $1,684,990 ($17,148,026 total)
The Rock – $499,194 ($239,313,718 total)
Toy Story – $33,920 ($354,414,537 total)

Oscar Details:

Emma: Original Musical or Comedy Score [O], Costume Design
Eraser: Sound Effects Editing
Independence Day: Sound, Visual Effects [O]
The Rock: Sound
Toy Story: Original Screenplay, Original Song (“You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Original Musical or Comedy Score
Trainspotting: Adapted Screenplay
Twister: Sound, Visual Effects

25 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 23-25, 1991

Weekend Box Office:

Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $4,089,720 ($175,583,219 total) {week 8}
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $2,066,880 ($146,225,133 total) {week 11}
Boyz N the Hood – $1,535,180 ($46,885,158 total) {week 7}
City Slickers – $1,423,623 ($110,045,131 total) {week 12}
Barton Fink – $268,561 ($268,561 total) {week 1}
The Commitments – $268,653 ($775,824 total) {week 2}
The Silence of the Lambs – $105,523 ($129,953,413 total) {week 28}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

Terminator 2: Judgment Day – $7,936,583 ($340,739,881 total)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – $4,011,024 ($283,767,063 total)
Boyz N the Hood – $2,979,197 ($90,986,162 total)
City Slickers – $2,762,708 ($213,555,516 total)
Barton Fink – $521,174 ($521,174 total)
The Commitments – $521,353 ($1,505,578 total)
The Silence of the Lambs – $204,780 ($252,189,877 total)

Oscar Details:

Barton Fink: Supporting Actor (Michael Lerner), Art Direction, Costume Design
Boyz N the Hood: Directing, Original Screenplay
City Slickers: Supporting Actor (Jack Palance) [O]
The Commitments: Film Editing
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Original Song (“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)
The Silence of the Lambs: Picture [O], Directing [O], Actor (Anthony Hopkins) [O], Actress (Jodie Foster) [O], Adapted Screenplay [O], Film Editing, Sound
Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Editing, Cinematography, Makeup [O], Sound [O], Sound Effects [O], Visual Effects [O]

30 Years Ago: The Weekend of Aug. 22-24, 1986

Weekend Box Office:

The Fly – $4,725,970 ($15,681,173 total) {week 2}
Stand By Me – $3,812,093 ($4,684,502 total) {week 3}
Aliens – $3,371,670 ($60,977,693 total) {week 6}
Top Gun – $3,326,355 ($124,440,927 total) {week 15}
The Karate Kid Part II – $52,807,701 ($93,653,926 total) {week 10}

Weekend Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation):

The Fly – $10,407,325 ($34,532,394 total)
Stand By Me – $8,394,825 ($10,316,006 total)
Aliens – $7,424,944 ($134,282,413 total)
Top Gun – $7,325,154 ($274,038,376 total)
The Karate Kid Part II – $116,290,813 ($206,240,586 total)

Oscar Details:

Aliens: Actress (Sigourney Weaver), Original Score, Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, Sound Effects Editing [O], Visual Effects [O]
The Fly: Makeup [O]
The Karate Kid Part II: Original Song (“Glory of Love”)
Stand By Me: Adapted Screenplay
Top Gun: Original Song (“Take My Breath Away” [O]), Editing, Sound, Sound Effects